First aid kit



May 7, 1963 E. s. KOZIKOWSKI FIRST AID KIT Filed Sept. 25, 1957 ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,088,584 FIRST AID KIT Edward S. Kozikowski, 12998 Lake Ave., Lakewood, Ohio Filed Sept. 23, 1957, Ser. No. 685,648 6 Claims. (Cl. 206-12) This invention relates to first aid kits and more particularly to a novel and improved first aid kit container.

One of the principal objects of this invention is to provide a novel and improved first aid kit container which includes as an integral part of it at least one member which may be separated from the remainder of the container and used as a splint, and which when so used may be formed to the length and shape desired.

Another object of the invention is to provide a light weight moisture proof rugged novel and improved first aid kit container which is sanitary, compact, and versatile, and which first aid kit container when filled with medical supplies will float in water and maintain the medical supplies in a safe and dry condition.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved first aid kit container in which the contents are held both in an accessible fashion and in place against jarring and breakage.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a first aid kit container of a novel and improved construction having a plurality of splint reinforcements which serve the dual function of reinforcing the first aid kit and forming the splints and at the same time a first aid kit contained which is sufficiently durable to remain in a usable state even when the splint reinforcements are removed.

Yet another object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved container which may be used in both general and special applications.

These listed objects will outline the invention, but other objects and a fuller understanding of the invention may be had by referring to the following description and claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGURES 1 and 2 are top plan views of the first and second novel and improved splint reinforcements which form a par-t of the first aid kit container of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is a sectional view of one of the splint reinforcements as seen from the plane indicated by the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is an exploded view of one embodiment of the improved first aid kit container of the invention; and,

FIGURE 5 is a perspective view of an assembled first aid kit container of the embodiment of FIGURE 4 in an open condition and containing a quantity of medical supplies.

Referring to the drawings, top and bottom body sections Ill, 11 are provided. The body sections 11 together form a medical supply retaining body.

Preferably, a plurality of internal cavities are provided in the body for receipt of medical supplies. In the preferred and disclosed embodiment, these cavities are a series of shaped cavities designated by the numeral 12. The cavities 12 are formed in the bottom body section 11, FIGURE 5. Each of the cavities 12 is formed to the shape of the medical supply to be held to hold such supplies firmly in position and prevent the supplies from striking one another when the first aid kit is in use. In FlGURE 5, a few medical supplies designated by the numeral 13 are shown in place.

One of the principal needs for first aid kits is for boats and ships and a similar principal need is for air-sea rescue. For these reasons, it is desirable to have a first aid kit which will float, and the present invention in its preferred and disclosed embodiment has body sections 10, 11 which are made out of a light weight rugged material. A suitable material is foamed polystyrene.

A means must be provided to hold the body sections 10, 11 together in appropriate spaced relationship and to permit ready access to the cavities 12. In the preferred and disclosed embodiment, this means takes the form of a flexible plastic bag 15. A plastic bag has a seam closed by a slide fastener 16. The bag '15 fits snugly over the body sections '10, 11 and prevents the ingress of water between the body sections or into the interstices of the foamed polystyrene. When the slide fastener 16 is closed, the kit is in a compact unitary one-piece condition. When it is opened, the sections may be pivoted from one another to the position indicated in FIGURE 5 to permit access to the supplies 13.

One of the outstanding advantages of the invention is achieved through first and second splint reinforcements 20, 21. In this specification, the top or first splint reinforcement 20 will be described in detail. It will be understood that the bottom or second splint reinforcement 21 is the mirror image of the splint reinforcement 20. Corresponding parts of the second splint reinforcement 21 will be designated by comparable numerals with a prime added.

The splint reinforcement 20 has a tongue projection 22 at its first end. At its other or second end, the splint reinforcement 20 has an aperture 23 formed in it. When formed into a container reinforcement, the splint reinforcement 20 is bent to the contour of the top body sections 10 and the tongue is passed through the aperture 23. The tongue 22 is then bent over to form a disconnectable fastening between the ends of the splint reinforcement 20. This disconnectable fastening is indicated by the numeral 23, FIGURE 4. With the disconnectable fastening 24 formed, the splint assumes its function as a container reinforcement. The first splint reinforcement 20' is telescoped over the bag 15 to squeeze the bag between the reinforcement 20 and the top body section 10. The splint reinforcement is frictionally held in place. The second or lower splint reinforcement 21 assumes a comparable position with regard to the container 15 and the lower body section 11.

The splint reinforcements are elongated thin metal members. In the preferred form, the splint reinforcements are made of aluminum to permit all the foregoing features to be obtainable. In addition, the use of aluminum limits the overall weight of the first aid kit.

An over-hanging lip 27 is preferably provided to strengthen the splint reinforcement 20. It will be seen that the over-hanging lip 27 also extends over the top of the container and aids in the reinforcement of the first aid kit and that it limits the telescoping movement of the splint reinforcement when it is put over the bag. First and second strengthening ribs 28, 29 are also provided. These strengthening ribs 28, 29 may be rolled into the splint reinforcement and they preferably extend longitudinally throughout the entire length of the splint reinforcement.

When the device is in use and a splint is needed, a first alder simply removes the reinforcement and disconnects the connection 24. The reinforcement 20 may be then straightened to the position of FIGURE 1. The reinforcement may be broken to the length desired and it may be folded to extend along two sides of the fractured limb being treated. The kit also has the desirable feature of providing two splints. Very frequently when a fractured limb is being temporarily set with a first aid splint it is desirable to use two splints to hold the broken limb with sufiicient rigidity.

Yet another advantage of the disclosed splints is that they may easily be bent to the shape of the limb being treated and thus the padding required for a first aid, temporary bone setting isminimized.

It will be seen that to provide a first aid kit which will float the specific gravity of the entire kit and supplies must be less than the specific gravity of water. Preferably it is less than half the specific gravity of water so that the kit will float sufficiently high in the water toprevent permanent immersion of the seam 16. While the seam 16 is preferably Water impervious, it will be recognized that there is danger of leaks on'long immersion and it is for this reason that the kit preferably floats high out of water. In the disclosed and preferred embodiment, the kit, including the contents, has a specific gravity about percent that of water. This assures a kit which will float high in the water and prevent the ingress of water due to splashing or other causes.

While the novel and improved first aid kit has been described with great clarity and detail in its preferred form, it will be recognized that the invention comprises a light weight kit container which has at least one splint reinforcement serving the dual function of reinforcing the kit and providing an emergency splint. The invention also contemplates providing a floatable first aid kit and in its more detailed form one in which a plurality of cavities are provided to hold the various medical supplies in spaced, non-touching relationship.

Although the invention has been described in its preferred form with a certain degree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosure of the preferred form has been made only by way of example and that numerous changes in the details of construction and the combination and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention as hereinafter claimed.

I claim:

1. A first aid kit comprising, a quantity of medical supplies, a hollowed sectioned body defining a cavity containing said medical supplies, the sections being relatively movable to permit access to said supplies, closure means to hold said body in a closed position as a carrying case for said medical supplies, and a stiff, bendable splint reinforcement peripherally disposed about one of the body sections and frictionally connected to said one section, said reinforcement being facilely removable from said one section, said splint reinforcement having first and second ends disconneotably fastened together, said enforcement also being a first aid splint when said ends are disconnected.

2. A first aid kit container comprising, a hollowed sectioned body defining a cavity for containment of medical supplies, the sections being operable to permit access to said supplies, a resilient plastic bag encasing said sections, said bag including a slide fastener to close the bag, the bag when closed being a substantially imperfor-ate snug cover for said sections, the sections being held in aclosed position by said bag when it is in a closed position, the bag being openable by manipulation of said slide fastener, and said sections being relatively movable to afford access to said cavity when the bag is open, and first and second splint reinforcements peripherally embracing said bodies, the first splint being frictionally connected to the bag and pressing the bag against the periphery of the" first section to reinforce the bag and the first section, the second splint being frictionally connected to the bag and pressing the bag against the periphery of the second section to reinforce the bagand the second section, each of said splint reinforcements having first and second ends disconnectably joined together, and each of said splint reinforcements being a splint when the ends are disconnected.

3. A first aid kit container comprising, a hollowed sectioned body defining a cavity for containment of medical supplies, the sections being operable to permit access to said supplies,- a resilient plastic bag encasing said sections, said bag including a slide fastener to close the bag,

the bag when closed being a substantially imperforate snug cover for said sections, the sections being held in a closed position by said bag when it is in a closed position, the bag being openable by manpul-ation of said slide fastener, and said sections being relatively movable to afford access to said cavity when the bag is open, and a splint reinforcement peripherally embracing one of said bodies, the splint being frictionally connected to the bag and pressing the bag against the periphery of said one section to reinforce the bag and section, said splint reinforcement having first and second ends disconnectably joined together, said disconnectable joint being selectively positionable to tension frictional connection, and said splint reinforcement being a first aid splint when the ends are disconnected.

4. A first aid kit comprising upper and lower members connectable together to form a container, each of said members having greater width and length dimensions than thickness dimension, the lower member including at least one cavity therein, a quantity of medical supplies carried in such lower member cavity, said kit including repeatedly separable means selectively securing the member's together in fluid tight sealed relationship, said separable means including substantially endless seal means disposed along an imaginary plane which is transverse to said thickness dimension and longitudinal with respect to said width and length dimensions, the lower section, and medical supplies together being heavier than the upper section and said kit having a total weight at all times which is less than the weight of a water volume equal to the volume of the lower member whereby to provide a device which will float upright with said separable means out of water.

5. A container for a first aid kit or the like comprising first and second complemental body members together forming a container, at least one of said body members having at least one supply retaining cavity formed therein for the receipt and storage of a quantity of medical supplies or the like, another member including separable means to hold said body members in a closed condition and to permit repeated and facile separation of the body members for access to supplies contained in said body members, said separable means comprising a waterproof flexible bag housing said body members and having an opening repeatedly scalable by said separable means to permit such supply access, said sealab-le opening being disposed substantially in the plane of contact of said body members when said container is closed and out of water when said container is floating on a quantity of water, said container having a specific gravity less than one-half that of water, and at least one of said members including means to maintain a filled container of specific gravity less than that of water even when the container is supported by water for an indefinite period of time.

6'. A first aid' kit comprising first and second body sec tion members, said members together defining a body having at least one medical supply retaining cavity, a medical supply carried in each such supply cavity, another member including repeatedly separable means to hold the members together and permit selective and repetitive separation of the members for access to the supplies of the cavity, said members having a specific gravity substantially less than the specific gravity of water such that the entire kit including supplies has a specific gravity less than water, at least one of the members including means to prevent the ingress of water into the kit to maintain the specific gravity of the kit below that of water when the kit is floating in water for a protracted period, and a stiff, bendable splint reinforcement peripherally disposed about said first body section member and in frictional engagement with said first body section member, said splint reinforcement member being removable from said first body section member to provide a splint.

(References on following page) 6 Schultz July 30, 1957 Barnett Sept. 3, 1957 Smithers Nov. 18, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS France July 3, 1933 OTHER REFERENCES Modern Packaging (publication), November 1956,

References Cited in the file of this patent 2,800,900 UNITED STATES PATENTS 3 323 322 Re. 4,781 Hatch Mar. 5, 1872 514,542 Carter Feb. 13, 1894 1,313,344 Smart Aug. 19, 1919 5 752 041 1,720,170 Davies July 9, 1929 1,926,916 Reeves Sept. 12, 1933 2,282,908 Thompson May 12, 1942 2,285,994 McBride June 9, 1942 2,440,964 McCarty May 4, 1948 10 P 

1. A FIRST AID KIT COMPRISING, A QUANTITY OF MEDICAL SUPPLIES, A HOLLOWED SECTIONED BODY DEFINING A CAVITY CONTAINING SAID MEDICAL SUPPLIES, THE SECTIONS BEING RELATIVELY MOVABLE TO PERMIT ACCESS TO SAID SUPPLIES, CLOSURE MEANS TO HOLD SAID BODY IN A CLOSED POSITION AS A CARRYING CASE FOR SAID MEDICAL SUPPLIES, AND A STIFF, BENDABLE SPLINT REINFORCEMENT PERIPHERALLY DISPOSED ABOUT ONE OF THE BODY SECTIONS AND FRICTIONALLY CONNECTED TO SAID ONE SECTION, SAID REINFORCEMENT BEING FACILELY REMOVABLE FROM SAID ONE SECTION, SAID SPLINT REINFORCEMENT HAVING FIRST AND SECOND ENDS DISCONNECTABLY FASTENED TOGETHER SAID ENFORCEMENT ALSO BEING A FIRST AID SPLINT WHEN SAID ENDS ARE DISCONNECTED. 